


swathe me in the moonlight

by aizensosuke



Series: pride + horror 2019 [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Homophobic Language, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Pre-Poly, Were-Creatures, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 04:24:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19191787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aizensosuke/pseuds/aizensosuke
Summary: jugram and bazz are saved by an unlikely force.





	swathe me in the moonlight

German winters are frigid, and this evening is no different from the rest.

Jugram Haschwalth presses his mittened hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket and tucks his chin down against his chest, trusting his roommate to lead them back home without any incident. They only stepped out of their apartment in order to pick up a few groceries they would need; a blizzard set for late tonight appeared on the afternoon forecast and neither of them wants to be holed up without enough food.

Ahead of him, Bazz throws back his head and laughs into the night. Unlike Jugram, Bazz is used to the cold; he  _ lives _ for it. “This is such a nice night. Look at the sky, Jugo!”

“Would rather keep my eyes on my feet so I don’t slip and fall,” he mutters, not keen on smashing his head on the sidewalk> Being holed up in the hospital is not preferable either.

“Man, you’re missing out.” Bazz sounds almost wistful, and Jugram wonders if he misses living high up north. “Well, look on the bright side. We’re like two blocks away from the building so you won’t have to be cold much— Shit. Just keep your head down and walk.”

That command never means good news; Jugram hunches his shoulders inward.

There are, of course, people in the city who only look for trouble when they appear and who bring it with them wherever they go. Jugram grits his teeth at the thought. He just wants to go home and fall asleep with his head on Bazz’s shoulder while they watch bad late night movies and try to ignore the storm coming. The idea of being mugged of their money and their groceries does not sound like a way to finish out this evening.

An unfamiliar voice cuts through the air. “Oh, look at this punk bitch walking up.”

_ Stop. _ Jugram winces at the words and reminds himself that he  _ can _ physically protect them both if he needs to. Bazz will jump into fights without hesitation or thought process and usually hurt himself in the meantime while Jugram tries to be as calculated and careful as possible. You can only do so much physical damage to the person trying to steal your wallet before you look like the one who went looking for trouble instead.

“Shit.” Bazz reaches back for him and Jugram makes a noise to let him know he heard him.

Of course, the group of men who called out to them does not let them avoid anything; one of them catches Bazz by the collar of his denim jacket and hauls him closer. “Nice hair, pretty boy. You must got a lot of money to be able to afford a dye job like this.”

Jugram rolls his eyes but keeps his head down so no one can see. After all, that will only exacerbate the situation. But Bazz dyes his own hair in the sink in their apartment.  _ You don’t need an excuse to commit a crime. Just get on with it so we can go home. _

Bazz shrugs the guy’s hand off. “What about it? Maybe it’s natural. You don’t know.”

“Oh fuck you, man, this ain’t natural. It’s fucking  _ pink. _ ” The guy leans around him; Bazz leans with him, but it’s too late. “Oh, you and your  _ boyfriend _ taking a night stroll?”

_ Damn it. _ Jugram recognizes that tone of voice all too well. “We’re just roommates.”

“ _ Roommates, _ ” the man echoes, and Jugram looks up at him. At the hard, rough angles of his face and the dangerous glint in his dark eyes. At the  _ four _ men standing behind him. They are not going to get out of this without a fight. “That what your kind calling it now?”

_ Your kind? _ Jugram wrinkles his nose and clears his throat. “We’re just trying to go home, it’s going to storm soon and no one wants to be caught out in a blizzard. Now, gentlemen, if you don’t mind, we need to be going home. You should rather do the same.”

Before Bazz can speak, Jugram catches him by the shoulder and drags him forward, praying that the men will let them go. Of course, no such thing happens. A hand fists in the length of his hair and  _ yanks,  _ the front of his neck arched against the strain as a startled noise leaves his throat. He recognizes a certain word starting with F leaving one of the men’s lips and his gut churns. This is  _ not _ how he wanted to spend the evening.

The hand in his hair  _ pulls _ and he loses his balance; Bazz rights him just as a low, threatening growl rumbles through the air. It makes both of them jump immediately.

“What the hell was that?” The man leading the group whips his head toward the open mouth of a nearby alley where he and his gang must have been hiding. “That a dog?”

The alley is almost too dark to see but Jugram can make out the vague shape of something  _ huge _ and black and hairy, and when it tilts its head forward, he can hear the growl again. See the faint gleam of white fangs just before the creature  _ pounces _ on the leader.

He sees the snap of white teeth into the bare skin of the man’s throat. The man’s yell of shock becomes a wet gurgle in seconds as he falls down under the large— Dog? It gives its massive head a shake and Jugram feels bile rise in his gut when he hears the wet  _ crunch. _ The man’s head rolls away from the rest of his body and the creature lifts its head, snarling at the other men before pouncing on a second one. The other three scatter.

It doesn’t matter. Two of them slide in the snow. The third is not fast enough. The creature brings them all down and the wet crunches and snaps send bolts of fear down Jugram’s spine, but not enough for him to physically  _ move _ from where he is standing.

Beside him, Bazz sways on his feet. He looks a bit pale. “You think we’re both next?”

“Maybe,” Jugram whispers when the creature turns to look at them properly. They won’t have to worry about the storm if the two of them die tonight.

Instead of charging them, however, the creature meekly pads back to the mouth of the alley, and Jugram realizes it is limping, careful not to put weight on its back right leg while it heads back to what he assumes must be its resting place. His eyes follow it even though his body  _ screams _ at him to leave now before the two of them are discovered at the scene of this crime and blamed for it— Though he doubts they could connect  _ bite _ marks to human beings. They simply do not have the teeth to pull off such a feat.

_ If only, _ he thinks bitterly. No one would try to assault them on the street again.

He watches the creature curl up behind a nearby dumpster, the lid of it flipped back against the brick wall to creature a pseudo-shelter. Against his better judgment, his heart gives a helpless throb. Animals have always been easy for him to get along with.

And people are cruel. They are so  _ unbelievably _ cruel.

“Jugo,” Bazz says as if he knows without having to be told. “Leave it be. It’s trying to rest.”

“Out here in the cold? Did you see its leg? It’s injured.” Jugram is moving forward before he can help it, Bazz clamping a hand down hard on his shoulder to keep him from nearing it.

When Bazz squeezes his shoulder, Jugram turns around to look at him. He does not look pleased. “I know how you feel about animals. I do. But that is… That’s not…  _ Five _ people.”

“They tried to hurt us. It protected us.” Jugram shrugs him off and kneels down in the snow instead, deciding to try his luck. He holds his hand out, fingers loosely curled, and tries to smile as gently as he can. The snow within one foot of his knee is stained red and melting from the heat. “Come here, baby. It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you.”

“I don’t think that we could if we wanted to,” Bazz mutters, and Jugram rolls his eyes.

He makes soft kissing noises and urges the creature closer, and up this close he can see it is just… A large, bear-like dog. And slowly it creeps out from its hiding place, eyeing his hand and his face back and forth. Its nose is cold and wet when it touches his palm.

“Good boy,” he murmurs. “Bazz, you’re going to have to carry it home so we can—”

Bazz groans. “Goddamn it, I  _ knew _ you going bleeding heart on me was going to start shit. I  _ knew _ it was. Look, that thing is like a goddamn tank and I can’t pick that thing up. He’s huge, and I cannot possibly carry him. You’re gonna have to just—  _ Jugo! _ ”

Jugram whips his head around in time to see the dog’s mouth open and he tenses for just a moment until the creature only weakly licks at his fingers, gentle and sweet.

“Fine,” Bazz mutters. “ _ Fine. _ I guess I’m going to carry the goddamn wolf home for you.”

_ Wolf? _ That does seem more proper when Jugram straightens up to get a proper look at him, running a hand through the damp fur on his back—  _ He. _ Is it a he? It feels right. At any rate, he takes the groceries from Bazz while Bazz tries to navigate lifting such a large animal, which he manages with careful placement of his arms and raw strength. Jugram knows he can carry large dogs; they helped a woman load her injured akita into the back of her car so she could take it to the vet, and Bazz has always been powerful.

He carries the wolf with only a few complaints and they make it home in no time; no one calls the police about the dead men in the snow. The hour is late and most people in this part of the city look the other way and do not care what happens to people like that.

By morning, a police officer will come around to ask questions. Jugram saw nothing.

The wolf is… Dirty, to say the least, so Bazz carries him straight to the bathroom while Jugram sets their groceries down on the counter and quickly refrigerates what needs to be put away to avoid spoiling. By the time he makes it to the bathroom, Bazz has set the wolf in the tub and is standing there, arms folded and staring at him.

“You really want to keep this dog?” Bazz points at it, and Jugram realizes it is frankly  _ huge. _ “You’re going to have to wash him. Look at that fur. It’s so fucking  _ long _ . How are—”

“I’ll just use shampoo I guess.” Jugram frowns at the soap they have. Yeah, his  _ entire _ bottle of shampoo probably, and even that might not be enough to do the job.

The wolf whines softly at him and Jugram sinks to his knees without hesitation, stroking a hand over his massive head, fingers sinking into all of that fur. It’s caked with dirt, he realizes. Dirt and blood. But he will do everything it takes to get him clean and—

His eyes widen impossibly. The wolf is a wolf for only a few blinks of an eye and then he finds himself sitting face-to-face with a man, naked and sitting in his bathtub and gazing at him with the most interesting eyes. Dark brown but red. The earth soaked in blood.

“I’m sorry to be a burden on you,” the man says, his voice calm and even and Jugram realizes that this man is what murdered those assholes who tried to hurt them. Not some innocent animal. This  _ man. _ “I didn’t think you would actually bring me this far. You’re both all right, aren’t you? I saw those men come after you. They’ve been terrorizing people.”

Bazz throws his hands up in the air. “Good job, Jugo. You brought a  _ werewolf _ home.”

“I suppose I did.” Jugram cocks his head to the side and realizes his hands are still tangled up in the man’s long, long hair. “Are you going to rip my throat out when I’m in bed?”

The man shakes his head. “No. If I wanted to, I would have when I had the advantage.”

“Oh, I like that. That was snappy.” Bazz is walking past them toward the door, and Jugram realizes,  _ again, _ that this man is naked. And sitting in his bath tub. “I’m going to go get a drink and pretend this is not happening so I don’t have to think about it.”

Jugram waits until the bathroom door shuts before he turns his eyes forward, lips pressed into a think line. “I should probably apologize for him but I think he’s just in shock. We both are. Ah… A werewolf, then? That’s what you are? I’ve never— You’re real?”

“My name is Yhwach.” Jugram makes him say it again so he can memorize it, and even then he is not quite sure of what he heard or that it can possibly be a real name. “And I am exactly what you think I am. I am real. And I will not hurt you. I’m not interested in mindless killings. I only hurt those men because they threatened you. Are you all right?”

The question has Jugram flushing, rubbing a hand up and down the back of his neck as he sighs softly. “Yes, I’m just fine. There’s no reason to worry about me. I should… Leave you to bathe alone, probably. I’m sorry for invading your privacy like this.”

Yhwach shakes his head. “It’s fine. I should probably go—”

“No. It’s  _ fine. _ ” Jugram echoes his sentiment, trying to put on his most mature face and voice. “You can at least stay here for the night. It’s the least we can do because you probably saved our lives. So enjoy your bath. You didn’t… Eat any of them so I assume you must be hungry? I can give you food, too. Like I said, it’s the least I can do.”

He’s surprised when the man chuckles softly and shakes his head. “Your roommate said you were a bleeding heart for animals. You are aware I don’t technically qualify, right?”

“You were hurt.” Jugram does not  _ dare _ look down with the man naked. “You saved my life. That’s all I really need to know right now. So take a bath. I’ll leave you some clothes on the counter, okay? You can borrow mine. And I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

True to his word, Bazz is sitting on the couch with a drink and has put away the rest of the groceries. Jugram picks up the beer waiting for him on the coffee table and neither of them speaks while Bazz turns on the television, a movie he recognizes on the screen. They lean back and relax and neither of them speak about the situation until he hears the sound of the bathroom door opening, their guest likely coming to join them.

He’s still  _ huge _ and, Jugram realizes a moment later, shivering slightly. The apartment is always on the chillier side even during the winter; they can only afford so much heat before it bankrupts them, after all. Still, the sight of it makes his stomach churn.

And he realizes Yhwach is still limping slightly. His leg must be quite injured.

“Man, you’re killing me.” Bazz swings his legs off of the couch, thumping the spot between the two of them. “Sit down, ‘kay? Jugo, grab a fucking blanket or something for him.”

Jugram wings an eyebrow up at him. “Have you decided to accept this?”

“Karma. Something. I’ve accepted it.” Bazz pats the middle seat again and Jugram retrieves the blanket draped across the back of one chair, sitting back down and wrapping it around Yhwach’s shoulders when he finally decides to join them.

Even sitting down, the man is big. Tall, broad…  _ Handsome, _ Jugram thinks distantly as he brushes Yhwach’s long, long black hair back over one shoulder. His bone structure is  _ insane _ and yes, his skin is cold. He must be freezing. Maybe his fur was simply not enough to keep him safe once the temperature dropped, and there are only so many locations such a large wolf could feasibly hide before someone would notice his presence.

He must have been hiding all this time alone in the city alleys. That’s heartbreaking.

“Come here.” Jugram pulls him by the shoulder so that he knows to turn, pulling Yhwach’s broad back against his chest, resting his chin on his shoulder. “I’ll just help you get warm.”

Bazz just  _ looks _ at him before sighing and pulling Yhwach’s legs up into his lap, careful of the one Jugram knows is hurt. Realizing Bazz must have made a note of which one it was. “Right, right. I’m sure. Well, I  _ guess _ we both owe him anyway. Get warm and then we’ll make you something to eat ‘cause somehow I don’t think douchebag tastes good.”

Yhwach chuckles softly, and Jugram can feel the vibration of it against his chest. “That would be true. Thank you. It’s been… Quite some time since humans have been kind to me.”

“And now there are two.” Jugram reaches around him, rubs a hand up and down his forearm until the skin warms beneath his fingers, a slow heat spreading under his skin.

“You can do math,” Bazz says, and Jugram shakes his head at him while Yhwach only laughs softly. The sound has Bazz cocking his head, an unreadable expression in his eyes until he manages a smile. “Well, guess weirder shit has happened. Hope you like your stay.”

Jugram does not think he has ever been so warm before.

**Author's Note:**

> it was literally only a matter of time until i wrote this ot3 let's be real. let's just be real with ourselves.
> 
> also yhwach... big and hairy... werewolf man.


End file.
